Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‑19) pandemic has affected education systems worldwide. The disruption in education systems has impacted over 90% of the student population of the world (UNESCO, 2020). Electronic learning (e‑learning), a form of teaching which involves electronic equipment and tools permits interaction between people involved in the education process. An example of which is the webinars. Webinars allow large groups of participants to engage in online discussions or training events and share audio, documents, or slides. Objective: We aim to assess the perception of resident physicians on the use of webinars to support learning during COVID‑19. Methodology: This is a cross-sectional study. An adequately powered paper survey was conducted among 123 resident physicians of St. Luke’s Medical Center Global City. A 5‑point Likert Scale was used for each of the questions in the questionnaire patterned after that of Nagar (2020). Descriptive statistics was used to analyze the data. Results: Majority of the respondents gave favorable answers to questions on pace of learning/ flexibility (91.5%), cost (95.1%), convenience and comfort (95.1%), motivation (76.1%), ease of access (96.1%), visual perception (87.5%), visual difficulty (79.9%), audio perception (83.7%), Internet connection (61.8%), and navigation (83.7%), while Internet connection (28.5%) was seen with the highest disagreement. Conclusion: Our data support the acceptability of webinars among resident physicians in a tertiary private hospital as an alternative learning tool in this COVID‑19 era where face‑to‑face interaction or traditional learning is less likely to be employed. Recommendations We recommend future studies that can focus on the efficacy of the webinars in the improvement of knowledge and practice of medicine by doing pre- and posttests. We also recommend doing a similar study in government hospitals where facilities may not be on par with private hospitals.
COVID‑19 ; Perception ; Physicians

BACKGROUND

The Universal Health Care (UHC) Act (RA 11223) which basically restructured the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation and enhanced health financing mechanisms, looks like a total reform of the Philippine health system. As a preparation for these reforms, the Philippine Academy of Family Physicians has undertaken a developmental project designed to prepare its members for these reforms. This research is an attempt to provide additional information for this PAFP project in terms of the primary care orientation of family practice clinics.

The overall objective of this research is to determine the primary care orientation of family practice clinics among the members of the PAFP Batangas Chapter.

This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the primary care orientation of family practice clinics, focusing on active members of the PAFP Batangas Chapter. Using purposive sampling, participants completed a pilot-tested questionnaire, evaluating aspects like first-contact, comprehensive, continuing, and coordinated care. Emphasis was placed on organized medical records and quality improvement activities. Despite facing initial reluctance, the survey garnered 74 responses from 117 members, acknowledging a shortfall in reaching the target and a decrease in confidence level from 95% to 85%. The study provides insights into diverse demographics and practice characteristics of voluntary participants among active PAFP members in Batangas.

The survey encompassed various aspects of healthcare provision among members of the Philippine Academy of Family Physicians (PAFP) Batangas chapter. In First Contact Care, respondents exhibited a consistent practice of providing after-hours contact, obtaining informed consent, and allocating varied consultation times. Notably, mental and behavioral assessments showed room for improvement. The Comprehensiveness of Services highlighted variations, with Fellows extending services, but family planning services exhibited lower engagement. In Record Keeping, there was an inclination towards paper-based records, with Fellows leading in standardized systems. Continuing Care reflected a positive trend in consistent doctor-patient relationships, while awareness levels varied. Coordination of Care demonstrated varying strengths in referral agreements, with Fellows consistently adhering more. In Quality Improvement, all Fellows engaged, while others showed diverse participation rates, emphasizing the reliance on clinical guidelines. The survey underscores a commitment to ongoing professional development, as reflected in Continuing Professional Development points. Overall, the findings reveal both strengths and areas for improvement, emphasizing the need for standardized practices and continuous enhancement in the provision of healthcare services.

This study identified the overall primary care orientation of family and community physicians who were active members of the PAFP Batangas Chapter. Armed with this information, effective strategies could be developed to prepare PAFP members for the reforms in the UHC.

Humans ; East Asian People ; Asthma/drug therapy* ; Physicians ; Patients ; Physician-Patient Relations

Background: Palliative care is an approach which improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing life-threatening illness, through the prevention, assessment and treatment of pain and other physical, psychosocial and spiritual problems. The Palliative and Hospice Care Act was enacted to improve quality of life of terminally- ill patient, however, the readiness of general practitioner to participate in palliative care is still a critical issues. Objectives: This study aimed to identify factors affecting provision of palliative care, as perceived by primary care physicians in Ilocos Norte. Methods: The study is a descriptive-comparative research utilizing the purposive sampling technique in selecting the participants. It used a structured survey questionnaire in google form and was sent through email. For participants having difficulty with online platform, printed questionnaire was distributed. Data gathered was entered and analyzed using Microsoft Excel. Specifically, mean, standard deviation was used for descriptive statistics and spearman correlation for inferential statistics was utilized. Results As to the knowledge of the primary care physicians, this study showed that they are knowledgeable as to the definition and objectives of palliative care. The study able to assess factors affecting the provision of palliative care in five (5) domains. Among the domains it was noted that national, regional and local healthcare networking and healthcare team are perceived challenges in provision of palliative care among the primary care physicians of Ilocos Norte.
Palliative Care ; Physicians, Primary Care

Background: The COVID-19 is a significant stressor for the resident physicians. This public health issue augmented the already rigid and demanding residency training. Objective: To determine the coping strategies employed by the resident physicians at the Southern Philippines Medical Center during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: The study was a cross-sectional design using the descriptive-survey research method. A total of 200 resident physicians participated in this study. The instruments used were a self-made sociodemographic profile questionnaire and the 37-item Filipino Coping Strategies Scale, adopted with permission from the developer. The study used frequency and percentage for categorical variables and mean and standard deviations for continuous variables. Results: The respondents were primarily female resident doctors (56%), unmarried (83%), with an average age of 30, and with the majority living with their immediate family (54%) with mostly three to four family members at home (64%). Most resident doctors were assigned to COVID-19 wards (52.5%) and managed COVID-19 patients directly (73%). Twenty percent of these respondents working in COVID-19 wards have reported and claimed having pre-existing health conditions. The most prevalent coping strategies employed were religiosity (3.15 ± 0.66) and problem-solving (3.11 ± 0.50). On the other hand, resident doctors rarely turned to overactivity or substance use. Conclusion This study has shown that residents most frequently utilized problem-focused (problem-solving) and emotion-focused (spirituality, relaxation/recreation, and tolerance) strategies. Coping is necessary for resident physicians to confront threats of COVID-19 infection. Psychological-emotional support for the well-being of resident doctors must be in place in every residency training program.
Physicians

Child ; Humans ; Speech ; Physicians, Primary Care ; Language Development Disorders/diagnosis* ; Speech Disorders

Mining data from traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) prescriptions is one of the important methods for inheriting the experience of famous doctors and developing new drugs. However, current research work has problems such as to be optimized research plans and non-standard statistics. The main problems and corresponding solutions summarized by the research mainly include four aspects.(1)The research plan design needs to consider the efficacy and quality of individual cases.(2)The significance of the difference in confidence order of association rules needs to be further considered, and the lift should not be ignored.(3)The clustering analysis steps are complex. The selection of clustering variables should comprehensively consider factors such as the frequency of TCM, network topology parameters, and practical application significance. The selection of distance calculation and clustering methods should be improved based on the characteristics of TCM clinical data. Jaccard distance and its improvement plan should be given attention in the future. A single, unexplained clustering result should not be presented, but the final clustering plan should be selected based on a comprehensive consideration of TCM clinical characteristics and objective evaluation indicators for clustering.(4)When calculating correlation coefficients, algorithms that are only suitable for continuous variables should not be applied to binary variables. This article explained the connotations of the above problems based on the characteristics of TCM clinical research and statistical principles and proposed corresponding suggestions to provide important references for future data mining research work.
Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Prescriptions ; Data Mining ; Cluster Analysis ; Physicians ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use*

With the increasing availability of genetic tests, more doctors are offering and ordering such tests for their patients. Ordering a genetic test appears to be a simple process of filling in paperwork, drawing 3 mL of blood in an ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid tube and receiving a test report. This is identical to sending off a full blood count. However, it is far more complex than that. There are many potential pitfalls, as shown by the increasing number of complaints and lawsuits filed against doctors and allied health staff. Furthermore, clinical genetics involves more than just ordering tests; in fact, focusing on genetic tests alone is a potential pitfall. In this review, we discuss the common pitfalls in clinical genetics and how doctors can avoid these pitfalls to ensure patient safety and to safeguard their practice.
Humans ; Edetic Acid ; Fenbendazole ; Patient Safety ; Physicians

Obesity is a disease with a major negative impact on human health. However, people with obesity may not perceive their weight to be a significant problem and less than half of patients with obesity are advised by their physicians to lose weight. The purpose of this review is to highlight the importance of managing overweight and obesity by discussing the adverse consequences and impact of obesity. In summary, obesity is strongly related to >50 medical conditions, with many of them having evidence from Mendelian randomisation studies to support causality. The clinical, social and economic burdens of obesity are considerable, with these burdens potentially impacting future generations as well. This review highlights the adverse health and economic consequences of obesity and the importance of an urgent and concerted effort towards the prevention and management of obesity to reduce the burden of obesity.
Humans ; Obesity ; Overweight ; Physicians

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may have increased the rate of presenteeism among front-line physicians. Presenteeism is the term used to describe attendance at work despite ill health that would normally prompt rest or absence from work. This study aimed to examine the associations between COVID-19 clinical practice and presenteeism among physicians. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted from December 2021 to January 2022. The questionnaires were distributed to 21,737 employed physicians who were members of the Japan Medical Association. Presenteeism was measured by the Work Functioning Impairment Scale. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the association between COVID-19 clinical practice and presenteeism. RESULTS: Overall, 3,968 participants were included in the analysis, and presenteeism was observed in 13.9% of them. The rate of presenteeism significantly increased with both the number of COVID-19 patients treated and the percentage of work time spent treating these patients (both P values for trend < 0.001). In comparison to those not currently engaged in the treatment of COVID-19 patients, presenteeism was significantly higher among front-line (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.71, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.16-2.53) and second-line physicians supporting those in the front-line (aOR = 1.45, 95% CI: 1.17-1.78). There was no association between involvement in COVID-19 vaccination services and presenteeism. CONCLUSIONS The burden on front-line and second-line physicians in COVID-19 clinical practice must be minimized. Employed physicians also need to recognize the importance of communicating with their workplaces about presenteeism.
Humans ; COVID-19/epidemiology* ; Presenteeism ; Japan/epidemiology* ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; COVID-19 Vaccines ; Physicians ; Surveys and Questionnaires